Pyrolysis Characteristics of Indonesian Oil Sand in a Fixed Bed

In this research, pyrolysis experiment of Indonesian oil sand was performed in a fixed bed. Results show that the temperature and heating rate had significant effects on the pyrolysis products. Data studied include yields of products and the gaseous product composition of carbon monoxide, hydrogen, methane, and other hydrocarbons. Four functional group bands (aromatic hydrocarbon, oxygen, aliphatic, and hydroxyl functional groups) are observed from Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy of oil sand. The influence of pyrolysis temperature on the total pore volume and the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) specific surface area of char was also studied. With increasing temperature, the BET specific surface area showed an increasing trend in the overall temperature range. The specific surface area and the total pore volume showed similar trends except the tiny difference of 5 °C/min from 200 to 300 °C. The heating rate did not influence the development of the pore structure obviously. Mainly, three different reaction regions were observed during pyrolysis of oil sand. This study provides a theoretical foundation for further effective exploitation and economical application of oil sand.